Toy construction-block.



'A. D. CONVERSE.

TOY CONSTRUCTION BLOCK.

APPLICATION HLED JULYG. I915.

1 ,1 92,939, Patented July 25, 1916.

4 If W T 1 rhnfi. zwense,

Jliiy ATHERTON D. CONVERSE, OF WINCI-IENDON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TOY CONSTRUCTION-BLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1916.

Application filed July 8, 1915. Serial No. 39,169.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, A'rnnn'roN D. CON- vnnsn, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, and a resident of VVinchendon, in the county ofWorcester and Commonwealth of Mz'lssachusetts, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Toy Construction-Blocks, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates'to toy construction blocks and has for its objectthe provision of a toy of this character in which the constituent partsthereof are not liable to become ineffective on account of changes intemperature or from other causes.

The invention consists of a plurality of rods preferably cylindrical anda member by which these rods are adapted to be connected together, saidmember being made of thin yielding disks connected together at separatedpoints and provided with a plurality of sockets and an openingperpendicular to said sockets, each socket and said opening beingprovided with means for gripping the end of a rod inserted therein.

The invention further consists of certain novel features of constructionand arrangement of parts which will be fully understood by reference tothe description of the darwings and to the claims hereinafter given.

Of the drawings: Figure 1 represents an elevation of a connector havinga plurality of rods secured therein. Fig. 2 represents an edge view ofthe connector. Fig. 3 represents a section of the same on line 33 onFig. 2, and Fig. 4: represents a section. of the same on line 44: onFig. 3.

Similar characters designate like parts throughout the figures of thedrawing.

In the drawings, 101O are a plurality of rods preferably cylindricalfrom end to end.

11 is a member adapted to connect the va rious rods lO--10 together asdesired. This connecting member 11 is made up of two thin metal disks 12each struck up to form a plurality of radial recesses 13 and each havinga central opening 14- surrounded by a serrated flange 15, the walls ofwhich are slightly inclined inwardly as shown in Fig. 41 of thedrawings.

The two disks 12 are secured together by rivets 16 at separated pointsnear the edges of said disks, these rivets 16 being positionedintermediate two of the recesses 13. IVhen the two disks 12 have beensecured together by the rivets 16 the recesses 13 are oppositelydisposed and form sockets to receive the ends of the rods 10. The mouthof each socket is of the same diameter as the diameter of the rods 10and the upper and lower walls of said sockets are slightly inclinedinwardly as indicated at 17 in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

When the end of a rod 10 is inserted into a socket the inclined wall 17will impinge thereon and retain said rod in position. The thin disks 12forming the connecting memher are sufliciently yielding to permit theinsertion of a rod. In like manner, when a. rod is inserted into theopening 141 as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the inclined serratedwalls 15 surrounding said opening impinge upon the rod and hold it inposition. By making a connecting member in this manner a solid rod maybe used, thus dispensing with the necessity of splitting the ends of therods, as in toys of this character now in general use.

One advantage of the present construction is that owing to the fact thatthe connecting member 11 is made of thin sheet metal it is not affectedby changes in temperature and is always in condition for use.Heretofore, when the connecting members have been made of wooden blocks,water is liable to affect the wood and cause the rods to stick in theconnectors so that they can only be removed with difficulty.

It is believed that the operation and many advantages of this inventionwill be fully understood from the foregoing description.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a toy, the combination of a plurality of rods; and. a connectingmember consisting of two disks of yielding material secured together andhaving central annular flanges extending toward each other forming acontinuous opening through said disks with its wall slightly inclinedinwardly from each end, said disks having oppositely disposed radialcurved portions forming sockets the mouths of which are of the samediameter as the mouths of said opening.

2. In a toy, the combination of a plurality of rods; and a connectingmember consisting of two disks of yielding material secured together andhaving central annular ing, and the Walls of which are inclined flangesextending toward each other formslightly toward each other. 10 ing acontinuous opening through said disks Signed by me at 4 Post Olfice Sq.,Boston, With its Wall slightly inclined inwardly Mass, this 7th dayofJuly,1915.

from each end, said disks having oppositely ATHERTON D. CONVERSE.disposed radial curved portions forming Witnesses:

sockets the mouths of which are of the EDWARD T. ALLEN,

same diameter as the mouths of said open- WALTER E. LOMBARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

